One of the most important considerations when buying a computer is the monitor. After all, you'll be staring at it day in, day out, and if you don't like what you see, it could mean trouble. In the past, choosing a monitor was simple: Product features were uncomplicated, model choices were limited, and the basic technology was relatively easy to understand.

These days, though, it's not an easy decision to make. Rapid developments in cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors have made selecting the right monitor a process fraught with a mind-boggling array of choices. More than size and price, you must consider your office space requirements, employee usage and more. The good news: Prices are coming way down for both types of monitors. And that means you can be choosier when it comes to decision time.

New Bag Of Tricks

Although flashy LCD monitors have gotten a lot of press
recently, CRT monitors are also making big strides. By far the
cheaper option, today's CRTs offer a lot of monitor for your
money. An ample 17-inch monitor, like the FlexScan FX-C7 from EIZO
(http://www.eizo.com), has a
street price of $619, roughly half the cost of similar-sized LCD
monitors.

Other recent CRT developments include new space-saving designs
with shorter backs; models that come with Universal Serial Bus
ports; and flat-screen CRT monitors that, like LCDs, have no
visible curvature or distortion thanks to current flat-tube
technology.

Screen size remains the main advantage to buying a CRT monitor.
If you or your employees need to view detailed documents, such as
spreadsheets, and desk space isn't an issue, moving up to a
roomy 17-inch or larger CRT monitor will take away a lot of your
eyestrain for a reasonable price.

The biggest monitors on the market aren't always ideal in
office environments, however. "CRT monitors that are 14, 15
and 17 inches are still the most popular for businesses
today," says Rob Enderle, vice president of Giga Information
Group, an information technology advisory and market research firm
based in Norwell, Massachusetts. "Anything larger has a hard
time ramping up mainstream [support] because it takes up too much
space. [19 and 21-inch] monitors are used primarily in engineering
firms and homes."

Another big consideration when buying a CRT monitor is
resolution. Typically, resolution is displayed as the number of
dots (or pixels) across by the number of lines down, for instance,
a 1,024 x 768 resolution. The higher the maximum resolution, the
sharper (though smaller) the image displayed on-screen. In
addition, you should consider dot pitch (or pixel pitch), which is
the distance between each pixel (typically anywhere from .28 to .51
mm). A smaller dot pitch means a crisper image.

Here's The Skinny

While LCD monitors have a reputation for being not only pricey
but designed for use in high-end business environments, they're
currently making significant inroads into small businesses. One
reason LCD, or flat-panel, monitors are going mainstream: a
dramatic drop in cost. Some 17-inch models have dipped below the
$2,000 mark, and 15-inch LCD monitors for under $1,000 can easily
be found. Although that's still more than what you'd pay
for a similar-sized CRT, there are many benefits to LCD monitors
that make them an attractive, sensible solution.

The most recognizable benefit is LCDs' space-saving flat
design. With an average thickness of approximately three inches,
they're ideal for growing businesses where office space is a
concern or for workers needing to free up desk space. What's
more, their lightweight design makes them easier to transport.
Flat-panel monitors typically weigh less than 14 pounds; heftier
CRT monitors can weigh 45 pounds or more. Sharp, clear images with
almost no distortion, lower power consumption, brighter displays,
better viewing angles and virtually nonexistent emissions are other
key benefits to using LCD monitors.

"When employees spend hours in front of a computer, the
concern about radiation becomes much stronger," Enderle says.
"LCD monitors make sense if you have a strong concern about
emissions."

They also make sense from the standpoint of your employees'
visual health. "LCD monitors don't flicker like CRT
monitors do, making them much easier on the eyes," Enderle
says.

Any small business with tight quarters, a rapidly growing office
environment or employees that work long hours in front of their
computers should consider purchasing flat-panel monitors.
They're very useful when working with specific business
applications as well: Many LCD monitors can be easily rotated for
portrait view, making them ideal for word processing, desktop
publishing, data entry and Web surfing.

When evaluating LCD monitors, you'll need to decide whether
to choose an analog or digital model. Although flat-panel monitors
are inherently digital, until recently, most LCD monitors were
designed to work with graphics cards outputting an analog signal.
Therefore, the monitors are designed to convert the analog signal
into a digital form, often resulting in a degradation of image
quality. But some digital flat panels support new digital standards
that directly transmit the signal to the panel, offering superior
image quality without degradation. Keep in mind, however, an
additional graphics card that supports the digital monitor may be
required.

Because LCD monitors are inherently flicker-free, refresh rate
isn't as important, either. In fact, most LCD monitors work
best at lower refresh rates than are recommended for CRT
monitors.

In terms of resolution, while CRT monitors are flexible and can
support lower resolutions than their maximum resolution, LCD
monitors support what's known as their native resolution. LCD
monitors display best only in their native resolutions, so keep
this key difference in mind. Finally, when in doubt, go with a
well-known brand.

Choosing the right monitor is actually more of an art than a
science. After considering all the specifications, pricing, and
office space and business application issues, the best way to
decide is simply to rely on your eyes. If you can, line up the two
types of monitors side by side and compare their quality,
ease-of-use and comfort. In the end, seeing really is
believing.

Screen Test

ViewSonic's VPD150 Digital ViewPanel supports new digital
standards so there's no traditional analog-to-digital signal
conversion, which commonly results in a degradation of image
quality. The VPD150 multimedia LCD monitor offers a 1,024 x 768
native resolution, a wide 140-degree horizontal viewing angle and a
15-inch viewable screen. PerfectPortrait software (included) allows
for easy viewing when the monitor is rotated 180 degrees, making it
ideal for users working on legal or word processing documents.

A 1,280 x 1,024 native resolution and large 18.1-inch screen
make NEC Technologies' MultiSync LCD1810 an impressive option
for those who don't want to compromise on viewing size or
quality. A pivot capability allows for viewing in either portrait
or landscape mode; one keystroke quickly toggles the screen image
from landscape to portrait. Additional features include a universal
security slot and wall or arm mounting options.

Optiquest's V73 17-inch CRT monitor delivers good
performance in typical small-business computing environments. It
has a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 1,024, a .26 mm dot pitch and a
87Hz refresh rate (in 1,024 x 768 resolution). The V73 includes a
SuperContrast screen treatment for more precise colors as well as
antireflection and antiglare screen treatments. Easy color and
screen adjustment controls round out this very affordable
solution.

If you're looking for an affordable, no-frills LCD monitor,
consider Samsung's 13.3-inch SyncMaster 330 TFT model. Its
ultra-sleek, space-saving design takes up only one-third of the
desk space that traditional CRT monitors do. It has an adequate
1,024 x 768 native resolution (at 75Hz) and a .26 mm dot pitch.
Additional features include a zoom control to expand screen images
up to eight times their normal size, a multimedia stand with
built-in stereo speakers and a microphone for true audio/video
performance, and a functional design for quickly and easily
detaching the monitor from the base for wall mounting.